This Month at the McCormack Graduate School
April & May 2021
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Dear McCormack Community,
On April 20, Derek Chauvin was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd, and we released a collective breath. Shortly after, our McCormack Racial Equity Taskforce held a community discussion to process the verdict as members of school, city, nation and global community, and as individuals. There was much discussion that there was a measure of accountability in the verdict, but this was just a step on the long road to justice. And again, as we have so often done as a school of policy, we committed and recommitted, and now recommit again, to our ethos of social and racial justice.
We see this on the pages of this newsletter where our faculty, students and staff are at the forefront of research, engagement and teaching about policies that drive toward justice for the aging, for the homeless, for the earth, for immigrants, for the developing world, and for all of our communities regardless of race, ethnicity or gender. We celebrated milestones and honors in influence, scholarship, publishing, presenting, and our media presence.
As we anticipate the end of the academic year, and the easing of pandemic-related restrictions, we are both self-reflective about lessons-learned, but also not slowing down. There is still much to be done, because, as noted by the Chancellor Suárez-Orozco, barring unforeseen events and being flexible where health and safety are concerned, we will be returning to campus in the fall!
Warmly,
David W. Cash
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McCormack Making A Difference |
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Student Success
Since its launch over two years ago, the Dean’s Office Student Success (DOSS) program has remained true to its core values in “creating not just a community to share students’ humanity but a bridge where faculty and students can relate, commune, find support and encouragement through the programs and events."
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Faculty Accomplishments
What does Earth Day mean to you and for our planet? For Professor Maria Ivanova, the holiday’s significance runs deep in her personal life, intellectual journey, and the foundation for environmental reform in the United States. Check out the spotlight article featuring Maria Ivanova's unique story and accomplishments.
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Staff and Virtual Support
When Chris Brindley joined the McCormack Graduate School team as an IT Specialist back in March 2007, little did he know the impact he would have on the community both on and off campus.
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Alums Making a Difference
A new analysis of ‘host community agreements’ made by Massachusetts municipal governments and local cannabis business operators reveals that the agreements regularly violate state law, which states that “community impact fee[s] shall be reasonably related to the costs imposed upon the municipality by the operation of the marijuana establishment.”
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Centers Delivering Impact
The 2nd International Colloquium on African Studies gathered over 30 experts from the US, Mexico, Europe, and Africa who discussed several themes of African Studies at a global scale. Associate Dean Rita Kiki Edozie, chair and founder of ASF, says the project was not only exciting in covering real-time African issues, but also in establishing the partnerships with a global institution like UNAM and New England’s largest African Studies Center at BU.
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Themed as 'Healing Together: Empowering McCormack Students with Opportunities and Resources', UMass Boston Staff and DOSS Ambassadors provided MGS students with access to opportunities and resources as we move toward the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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In the third and final panel of discussions, UMass Boston experts explore the implications of the Biden-Harris Administration in regards to International Policy. Topics discussed include Foreign Policy, Immigration, Terrorism, and Global Governance.
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"Earth Week has come back again, and even though it was virtual, that did not stop Earth Week events from taking place." The McCormack community was part of several events during this year's Earth Week. Check out the recap of several listed events in the link above.
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This April, the Dean’s Office Student Success Program (DOSS) invited Dr. Alasdair Roberts, Director of the School of Public Policy at University of Massachusetts Amherst to kickstart the speaker series as the inaugural keynote speaker. Themed: Governance and Democracy in Peril: From the US Capitol to the World.
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On April 21, 2021, Gerontology hosted a special online event to celebrate the milestone of 100+ PhDs. Speakers included the program founder, distinguished alumni, University leadership and faculty. It was a chance to catch up with old friends and learn about their life after the doctoral program.
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Centers Delivering Impact |
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Reaching the age of 100 is always a notable accomplishment worth celebrating, but Betty Taymor's pioneering life’s work of empowering women also deserves celebration. In 1968, Taymor founded the Program for Women in Politics and Government, a graduate certificate program initially housed at Simmons College and later at Boston College. As the program grew, it relocated to UMass Boston under the leadership of Dr. Sherry Penney.
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According to a new case study from the LeadingAge LTSS Center at UMass Boston's McCormack Graduate School, affordable senior housing residents’ physical, mental and social health generally improve with the help of community health workers. The case study has been featured in McKnight's Senior Living News.
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In an op-ed posted on the Boston Globe and the Gerontology Institute Blog, Associate Professor, Elizabeth Dugan explains that city/town/community data can be used as an opportunity to measure and "identify how a community’s aging circumstances change over time."
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Accomplishments of the MGS Community |
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UMass Boston's online Conflict Resolution graduate certificate program provides professionals with the unique skills needed to manage conflict in a variety of settings. Become an expert in managing conflict, facilitating peaceful problem solving, and fostering collaborative decision-making.
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Former MGS Associate Dean, Connie Chan is among seven UMass Boston faculty and staff (including Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco) named to Get Konnected!’s inaugural list of the Most Influential People of Color in Higher Education.
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The Department of Conflict Resolution, Human Security, and Global Governance made a big appearance at the International Studies Association 2021 Annual Convention. Many students presented on a wide range of topics including migration governance and securitization, nationalism and its impact on democracy, climate change and environmental governance, transnationalism and inter-state relations, and feminism and women's leadership.
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McCormack Speaks
Title: Making Sense of Social Research Methodology: A Student and Practitioner Centered Approach, by Karen Ross, Pengfei Zhao, Peiwei Li, Barbara Dennis
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McCormack Speaks
The Center for Social Policy is conducting a multi-year evaluation of the Family Led Stability Pilot (FLSP). The FLSP collaboration of public and private partners addresses the growing challenge of student homelessness in Boston Public Schools. There are over 4,500 homeless students enrolled in Boston Public Schools each year, and many more families will be at-risk of homelessness after the pandemic.
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Media Hits
A snapshot of recent McCormack news items.
(Top Row: Professor of Gerontology Jan Mutchler, Associate Dean Rita Kiki Edozie, CWPPP Director of Policy and Research Christa Kelleher, and Professor Christian Weller. Bottom Row: Associate Professor Darren Kew, Associate Professor Maria Ivanova, Dean David Cash, and Gerontology Adjunct Instructor Jane Tavares.)
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Event Date: Tuesday, May 18, 2021 - 5:30 p.m.
Please join us for an enlightening evening: Conflict Resolution Master’s Students will showcase their hard work, presenting the findings of their master's projects or theses, representing a wide variety of topics.
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Event Date: Thursday, May 20, 2021 - 5:30 p.m.
The GLPP Program celebrates the accomplishments of our students in the class of 2021!
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Event Date: Thursday, May 21, 2021 - 3 p.m.
The McCormack Racial Equity Taskforce presents the Diversifying the Curriculum Speaker Series in conversation with keynote speaker Dr. Tina M. Harris, Professor & Manship-Maynard Endowed Chair of Race, Media, & Cultural Literacy Affiliate, Louisiana State University.
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Event Date: Monday, May 24, 2021 - 1 p.m.
This panel discussion (hosted over Zoom) will focus on what plans should do now in response to the Employee Benefits Security Administration’s (EBSA) Missing Participant Guidance.
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Event Date: Monday, May 24, 2021 - 6 p.m.
Please join us as we discuss the importance and impact of women of color in elected office in the Commonwealth.
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Event Date: Thursday, May 27, 2021 - 4 p.m.
Please join Dean David Cash and the faculty at MGS to virtually celebrate all of our accomplishments and our graduates - talented, committed, ready to make an impact in local, national, and global communities!
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Check out the
eMcCormack Resource Center
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McCormack Graduate School Newsletter Editorial Board
Jack Li
Rashelle Straker
Robert Turner
Associate Dean Rita Kiki Edozie
Dean David Cash
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John W. McCormack Graduate School
of Policy and Global Studies
University of Massachusetts Boston
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